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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Dirt: The Movie

I have fond childhood memories of dirt - under my feet, under my nails, in the creases of my elbows. Evidence of dirt was evidence of a day well spent. For this, I was considered a "tomboy." It's funny how, as I grew older, I began to be pulled further and further from my dirt interactions. Whether it was about keeping my uniform clean in school, or working in a shopping mall, or finally, ultimately, making my way to a job in the "big city," each step of the way dirt seemed to get more and more, well, dirty and less and less fun.

And yet, even so, when I think of the most serene, happy moments of my life, they are glimpses of a "dirtier time." I think back to working in the garden with my parents, or grabbing fresh basil for my grandmother in her tiny, yet fruitful, Brooklyn backyard, or exploring the Greenbelt paths of the woods around my home and borough with my father and friends, I think of the sun-baking hours I spent squatting behind home plate as my softball team's catcher, or taking my dogs for a walk through the same Greenbelt paths I walked as a child. I have to conclude that dirt makes me happy. It is something that, honestly, I don't think I ever truly realized before. However, this week I watched a documentary called Dirt! that was recommended by the Facebook Foodies group (we're still working on an appropriate name!), and as the film outlined the precious, beautiful relationship dirt has with the planet, I began to realize how important it was in my own.

As I watched the film, I began to reflect upon my own dealing with dirt while being educated about the absolutely pivotal role dirt played in all of our lives. I believe this is an incredibly important movie to watch and it is also entertaining (I simply love the little dirt cartoons - they are the cutest!!). Here is one of the trailers to give you an idea of what you will be getting out of this film.

I, of course, highly recommend that you see this film if you have not already. The film also has a nice official website as well, that you should check out. As for me, I am going to take action on something I have long hoped to, but have simply been limited by time - I am going to learn about the big bad world of composting! I truly hope to get some sort of edible growth in my backyard this year, so, to that end, I am also going to start learning about dirt!

I will keep you up to date with all I learn and anything cool I find in the composting world, but for now, I'll ask you: